Cricket Australia (CA) has unveiled a 14-player lineup for the impending five-match T20I series against India, which kicks off on November 23. In the wake of several senior players opting for a break, wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade has been named as the skipper for this series.

The roster boasts of seasoned cricketers including David Warner, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Adam Zampa. After their stint in the ICC World Cup 2023, players like Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Marsh, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood are set to head back home.

Taking the captaincy on a temporary basis, Matthew Wade steps into a role that has been vacant since February. Though he has been away from international cricket post the T20 World Cup, he was recalled as a backup for the series versus South Africa.

George Bailey notes Matthew Wade’s past captaincy experience for the team

Australian cricket team’s chief selector, George Bailey, emphasized Matthew Wade’s past captaincy stints and his leadership prowess. He compared this to Mitch Marsh leading the team in the series against South Africa.

“Matthew has previously held the captain’s mantle, and he’s a natural leader within our squad. Just as we saw with Mitch Marsh during the South Africa games, this series presents a valuable chance to expand our pool of leadership talent at the international level,” Bailey remarked.

The lineup for the series includes players such as Tim David, Sean Abbott, Josh Inglis, Jason Behrendorff, and Nathan Ellis. Meanwhile, Matt Short, Spencer Johnson, and Tanveer Sangha have maintained their positions. Unfortunately, Ashton Agar won’t be playing due to a calf injury.

Australia’s T20 Tour of India – Schedule:

• November 23: First T20 at Vishakhapatnam
• November 26: Second T20 at Thiruvananthapuram
• November 28: Third T20 at Guwahati
• December 1: Fourth T20 at Nagpur
• December 3: Fifth T20 at Hyderabad

Australia T20 Squad:

• Captain: Matthew Wade
• Players: Jason Behrendorff, Sean Abbott, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, and Adam Zampa.